Wii Music a rare Nintendo miss, but it’s a fun two hours

Wii Music has flashes of brilliance, but the lack of an actual game and …

Nintendo has been on something of a roll lately. Its hardware is flying off the shelves, and what should be cringe-worthy ideas turn into magical best-sellers. Wii Sports remains a compelling experience for gamers and non-gamers alike, and it's amazing how well twisting the wheel and racing go-karts in Mario Kart Wii has held up. The company has even managed to create an workout product so good it remains supply-constrained in many areas. But Nintendo work the same magic with music games? We've spent a fair amount of time with Wii Music now, and the answer is no... but this could certainly be a fun rental for a few hours.

Having played the game at both E3 and PAX, we found the experience completely underwhelming in demo form, and the final product still needs work. You play songs from your childhood or common classics like "O Christmas Tree" and "Carmen" by waving your Wiimote around, and there is no way to fail. You get points, sure, but they don't mean anything. The game seems like a rare misstep as Nintendo continues its path into casual oblivion. While there is something to be said for the experience, that shine is short-lived.

The problems are many: there isn't much of a game here but more of an interactive experience. Even with 60 instruments, there are only four control methods with the Wiimote, which means the basics are mastered quickly, and there isn't much to perfect.

Jamming consists of you playing along with the songs, which again are old, musty things from the past, rendered in MIDI. To play piano, you simply mimic playing the piano with your hands holding the Wiimote and nunchuk, but only speed is really measured; while you play with both hands, the game tells you what note to play. It's the same thing with the strumming motion and the violin motion (which feels oddly like playing a real instrument, just on a very tight set of training wheels).

Sadly, the motion isn't 1:1, meaning that if you twitch, the game strums or plays a note. Being able to more accurately control the "bow" on the violin or short versus long strums on the guitar would be fun.

The most interesting way to play with instruments like the saxophone and trumpet is the style where you hold the controller up to your lips and hit the one and two buttons to change notes. If you bring the Wiimote up, the sound gets louder; bring it down and it gets softer. You can actually paint outside the lines and do some fun solos this way, in fact. Every instrument lets you basically do whatever you want with no negative repercussions, but the "trumpet" control scheme seems to give you the most control.

Jamming along with other people or the AI as you waggle and change up the songs is fun, and the graphics are bright and easy on the eyes, taking full advantage of the Miis to fill orchestras with your friends and family, but it never feels like a game worth $50 as much as an interactive exhibit at a children's museum. I fully expect my kids to get some enjoyment out of jamming along with the tunes and recording their own videos, or bashing on the virtual drum set, and my family will have a good time this Christmas, but this isn't something you'll want to play for long. It's neat to get four players together to play songs, but the fun is thin, and it's transient.

That being said, if you're having family over, give it a rent. When grandma and the kids go to bed, though, don't be surprised if you bring out Mario Kart or Super Mario Galaxy to pass the time.